36 Pa. Stat. § 3401

Current through Pa Acts 2024-53, 2024-56 through 2024-92

Section 3401 - Agreement; preamble

The Governor is hereby authorized to enter into a compact or agreement, on behalf of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with the State of New Jersey in substantially the following form:

AGREEMENT

BETWEEN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA AND THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY

CREATING THE DELAWARE RIVER JOINT TOLL BRIDGE COMMISSION AS A BODY CORPORATE AND POLITIC AND DEFINING ITS POWERS AND DUTIES

Whereas, The Commission, on behalf of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, existing by virtue of the act, approved the eighth day of May, one thousand nine hundred and nineteen (Pamphlet Laws, one hundred forty-eight), and its supplements and amendments, and the commission, on behalf of the State of New Jersey, existing by virtue of the provisions of the act, approved the first day of April, one thousand nine hundred and twelve (Chapter, two hundred ninety-seven), and its supplements and amendments, acting as a joint commission, have acquired various toll bridges over the Delaware River between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey; and

Whereas, Additional bridge facilities between the two States will be required in the future for the accommodation of the public and the development of both States; and

Whereas, Such additional bridge facilities should be developed without the expenditure of large sums from the public revenues; and

Whereas, It is highly desirable that there be a single agency for both States empowered to further the transportation interests of these States with respect to that part of the Delaware River north of the stone arch bridge of the Pennsylvania Railroad from Morrisville to Trenton; now therefore,

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey do hereby solemnly covenant and agree, each with the other, as follows:

ARTICLE I

There is hereby created a body corporate and politic, to be known as the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (hereinafter in this agreement called the "commission") which shall consist of the commissioners, on behalf of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, provided for by the act, approved the eighth day of May, one thousand nine hundred and nineteen (Pamphlet Laws, one hundred forty-eight), and its supplements and amendments, for the acquisition of toll bridges over the Delaware River, and of commissioners, on behalf of the State of New Jersey, provided for by the act, approved the first day of April, one thousand nine hundred and twelve (Chapter two hundred ninety-seven), and its supplements and amendments, for the acquisition of toll bridges over the Delaware River, which said commissions have heretofore been acting as a joint commission by virtue of reciprocal legislation.

No action of the commission shall be binding unless a majority of the members of the commission from Pennsylvania and a majority of the members of the commission from New Jersey shall vote in favor thereof.

In the event that any ex-officio member of the commission from Pennsylvania shall for any reason be absent from a meeting of the commission, a deputy or other person in his department, designated by him for such purpose, shall be authorized to act at such meeting for and in behalf of such absent member and to vote in his place on all matters which may be presented for consideration at such meeting. Such designation shall be signed by such ex-officio member and filed with the Secretary of the commission and shall continue in effect until the expiration of the term of office of such member or until another designation shall be made.

The commission shall constitute the public corporate instrumentality of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey for the following public purposes, and shall be deemed to be exercising an essential governmental function in effectuating such purposes, to wit:

(a) The administration, operation, and maintenance of the joint State-owned bridges across the Delaware River between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey, and located north of the present stone arch bridge of the Pennsylvania Railroad across the Delaware River from Morrisville to Trenton:

(b) The investigation of the necessity for additional bridge communications over the Delaware River, and the making of such studies, surveys, and estimates as may be necessary to determine the feasibility and cost of such additional bridge communications;

(c) The preparation of plans and specifications for, and location, acquisition, construction, administration, operation and maintenance of, such additional bridge communications over the Delaware River, at any location north of the boundary line between Bucks County and Philadelphia County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as extended across the Delaware River to the New Jersey shore of said river, as the commission deems necessary to advance the interests of the two States and to facilitate public travel; and the issuance of bonds and obligations to provide moneys sufficient for the acquisition or construction of such bridges; and the collection of tolls, rentals, and charges for the redemption of such bonds and obligations, and the payment of interest thereon;

(d) The procurement from the Government of the United States of any consents which may be requisite to enable the commission to exercise any of its powers;

(e) The investigation of the necessity for additional port and terminal facilities within the area (hereinafter referred to as the "district") comprising all of the territory within the counties of Bucks, Northampton, Monroe and Pike in Pennsylvania, all of the territory within the counties of Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon and Mercer in New Jersey, and that part of the territory within the county of Burlington in New Jersey north of the northerly bank of Rancocas Creek, as said creek and its north branch extend in a general easterly direction from the Delaware River and through Mount Holly, Pemberton and Browns Mills and other communities to the Burlington-Ocean County boundary line in New Jersey;

(f) The acquisition, construction, administration, operation and maintenance of such port and terminal facilities within the district as the commission may deem necessary to advance the interests of the two states, the issuance of bonds or other obligations of the commission to provide moneys sufficient for the acquisition or construction of such facilities, and the collection of fees, rentals, tolls and other charges for the payment of such bonds or obligations and the interest thereon, and for the administration, operation and maintenance of such facilities.

ARTICLE II

For the effectuation of its authorized purposes, the commission is hereby granted the following powers as limited and supplemented by the act of July 1, 1996 (P.L. 457, No. 70), entitled "A supplement to the act of June 25, 1931 (P.L. 1352, No. 332), entitled 'An act providing for joint action by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey in the administration, operation, and maintenance of bridges over the Delaware River, and for the construction of additional bridge facilities across said river; authorizing the Governor, for these purposes, to enter into an agreement with the State of New Jersey; creating a Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission and specifying the powers and duties thereof, including the power to finance the construction of additional bridges by the issuance of revenue bonds to be redeemed from revenues derived from tolls collected at such bridges; transferring to said commission all powers now exercised by existing commission created to acquire toll bridges over the Delaware River; and making an appropriation,' requiring the commission to adopt competitive purchasing, equal opportunity employment and competitive hiring practices":

(a) To have perpetual succession.

(b) To sue and be sued.

(c) To adopt and use an official seal.

(d) To elect a chairman, vice-chairman, secretary and treasurer, and appoint an engineer. The secretary, treasurer, and engineer need not be members of the commission.

(e) To adopt suitable by-laws for the management of its affairs.

(f) To appoint such other officers, agents and employees as it may require for the performance of its duties.

(g) To determine the qualifications and duties of its appointees, and to fix their compensation, except that the commission shall not employ directly or as an independent contractor a member of the commission for a period of two years after the expiration of the term of office of that member.

(h) To enter into contracts.

(i) To acquire, own, hire, use, operate, and dispose of personal property.

(j) To acquire, own, use, lease, operate, and dispose of real property and interest in real property, and to make improvements thereon.

(j.1) At its option, to authorize the Department of Property and Supplies to prescribe standards and specifications and make contracts and purchases of various materials and services for the commission, pursuant to the provisions of sections 2403, 2403.1 and 2409 of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L. 177), known as "The Administrative Code of 1929."

(k) To grant the use of, by franchise, lease, and otherwise, and to make and collect charges for the use of, any property or facility owned or controlled by it.

(l) To borrow money upon its bonds or other obligations, either with or without security.

(m) To exercise the power of eminent domain.

(n) To determine the exact location, system, and character of, and all other matters in connection with, any and all improvements or facilities which it may be authorized to own, construct, establish, effectuate, maintain, operate or control.

(o) In addition to the foregoing powers, to exercise the powers, duties, authority and jurisdiction heretofore conferred and imposed upon the aforesaid commissions, hereby constituted a joint commission by reciprocal legislation of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey, with respect to the acquisition of toll bridges over the Delaware River, the management, operation and maintenance of such bridges, and the location, acquisition, construction, administration, operation and maintenance of additional bridge communications over the Delaware River at any location north of the boundary line between Bucks County and Philadelphia County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as extended across the Delaware River to the New Jersey shore of said river. The powers granted in this paragraph shall be in addition to those powers granted by paragraph (a) of Article X of this agreement.

(p) To exercise all other powers, not inconsistent with the Constitutions of the States of Pennsylvania and New Jersey or of the United States, which may be reasonably necessary or incidental to the effectuation of its authorized purposes or to the exercise of any of the powers granted to the commission by this agreement or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, except the power to levy taxes or assessments for benefits; and generally to exercise, in connection with its property and affairs and in connection with property under its control, any and all powers which might be exercised by a natural person or a private corporation in connection with similar property and affairs.

(q) To acquire, construct, rehabilitate, improve, maintain, lease as lessor or as lessee, repair and operate, port and terminal facilities, as hereinafter defined, within the district, including the dredging of ship channels and turning basins and the filling and grading of land therefor.

(r) To provide from time to time for the issuance of its bonds or other obligations for any one or more of its corporate purposes; all bonds and other obligations hereafter issued by the commission shall have all the qualities and incidents of negotiable instruments.

(s) To fix, charge and collect fees, rentals, tolls and other charges for the use of any of its port and terminal facilities so as to provide funds at least sufficient with other funds available for such purposes (1) to pay the cost of maintaining, repairing and operating such port and terminal facilities, including the administrative expenses of the commission chargeable thereto; (2) to pay the bonds or other obligations issued on account of such facilities and the interest thereon as the same become due and payable; and (3) to provide reserves for such purposes, and to pledge such funds over and above such costs of maintenance, repair and operation to the payment of such bonds or other obligations and the interest thereon.

(t) To petition the Interstate Commerce Commission, any public service or public utilities commission, or any other federal, state or local authority, whether administrative, judicial or legislative, for the adoption and execution of any physical improvement, change in method, rate of transportation, system of handling freight, warehousing, docking, lightering or transfer of freight, which, in the opinion of the commission, may be designed to improve or facilitate the movement or handling of commerce within the district or improve the terminal or transportation facilities therein.

As used in this agreement, the term "port and terminal facilities" shall mean and shall include, without intending thereby to limit the definition of such term, any one or more of the following or any combination thereof:

(1) Every kind of terminal or storage structure or facility now in use or hereafter designed for use in the handling, storage, loading or unloading of freight or passengers at steamship, railroad or motor terminals or airports, and every kind of transportation facility now in use or hereafter designed for use in connection therewith; and

(2) All real and personal property and all works, buildings, structures, equipment, machinery, appliances and appurtenances necessary or convenient for the proper construction, equipment, maintenance and operation of such facility or facilities or any one or more of them.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this agreement or any provision of law, state or federal, to the contrary, the commission shall not combine for financing purposes any port and terminal facility or facilities constructed or acquired by it under the provisions of this agreement with any bridge or bridges heretofore or hereafter constructed or acquired by the commission.

The powers herein granted to the commission with reference to port and terminal facilities shall supersede the right to exercise any such powers within the district, as defined in paragraph (e) of Article I of this agreement, by any other body which has been heretofore created by compact or agreement between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey.

Nothing contained in any other of the provisions of this compact or agreement shall be deemed or construed to amend, modify or repeal any of the powers, rights or duties conferred by, or limitations or restrictions expressed in, Article X of this compact or agreement, or any of the provisions of said Article X relating to a bridge to be constructed, operated and maintained by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission or the New Jersey Turnpike Authority acting alone or in conjunction with each other.

ARTICLE III

If for any of its authorized purposes (including temporary purposes), the commission shall find it necessary or convenient to acquire for public use any real property in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the State of New Jersey, whether for immediate or future use, the commission may, by resolution, determine to acquire such property by a fee simple absolute or a lesser interest, and the said determination shall not be affected by the fact that such property has theretofore been taken for or is then devoted to a public use, but the public use in the hands or under the control of the commission shall be deemed superior to the public use in the hands or under the control of any other person, association, or corporation.

If the commission is unable to agree with the owner or owners thereof upon terms for the acquisition of any such real property, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, for any reason whatsoever, then the Commission may acquire such real property by the exercise of the right of eminent domain, in the manner provided by the act, approved the eighth day of May, one thousand nine hundred and nineteen (Pamphlet Laws, one hundred forty-eight), entitled "An act providing for the joint acquisition and maintenance by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey of certain toll bridges over the Delaware River," and the acts amendatory thereof and supplementary thereto, relating to the acquisition of inter-State toll bridges over the Delaware River.

If the commission is unable to agree with the owner or owners thereof upon terms for the acquisition of any such real property, in the State of New Jersey, for any reason whatsoever, then the commission may acquire such property by the exercise of the right of eminent domain, in the manner provided by the act of the State of New Jersey, entitled "An act authorizing the acquisition and maintaining by the State of New Jersey, in conjunction with the State of Pennsylvania, of toll bridges across the Delaware River; and providing for free travel across the same," approved the first day of April, one thousand nine hundred and twelve (Chapter, two hundred ninety-seven), and the various acts amendatory thereof and supplementary thereto, relating to the acquisition of inter-State toll bridges over the Delaware River.

The power of the commission to acquire real property by condemnation or the exercise of the power of eminent domain in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey shall be a continuing power and no exercise thereof shall be deemed to exhaust it.

The commission and its duly authorized agents and employes may enter upon any land, in the Commonwealth or the State of New Jersey, for the purpose of making such surveys, maps, or other examinations thereof, as it may deem necessary or convenient for its authorized purposes.

However, anything to the contrary contained in this compact notwithstanding, no property, now or hereafter vested in or held by any county, city, borough, village, township or other municipality, shall be taken by the commission without the consent of such municipality, unless expressly authorized so to do by the Commonwealth or State in which such municipality is located. All counties, cities, boroughs, villages, townships and other municipalities, and all public agencies and commissions of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey, notwithstanding any contrary provision of law, are hereby authorized and empowered to grant and convey to the commission upon its request, but not otherwise, upon reasonable terms and conditions, any real property which may be necessary or convenient to the effectuation of its authorized purposes, including real property already devoted to public use.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey hereby consent to the use and occupation by the commission of any real property of the said two States, or of either of them, which may be or become necessary or convenient to the effectuation of the authorized purposes of the commission, including lands lying under water and lands already devoted to public use.

The term "real property," as used in this compact, includes lands, structures, franchises, and interests in land, including lands under water and riparian rights, and any and all things and rights usually included within the said term, and includes not only fees simple and absolute but also any and all lesser interests, such as easements, rights of way, uses, leases, licenses, and all other incorporeal hereditaments, and every estate, interest or right, legal or equitable, including terms of years and liens thereon by way of judgments, mortgages, or otherwise, and also claims for damage to real estate.

ARTICLE IV

Notwithstanding any provision of this agreement, the commission shall have no power to pledge the credit of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or of the State of New Jersey, or of any county, city, borough, village, township and other municipality of said Commonwealth or State, or to create any debt against said Commonwealth or State or any such municipality.

ARTICLE V

The commission is hereby authorized to make and enforce such rules and regulations, and to establish, levy and collect (or to authorize, by contract, franchise, liens or otherwise, the establishment, levying and collection of) such tolls, rates, rents, and other charges, in connection with any such bridge across the Delaware River which it may hereafter construct and operate, as it may deem necessary, proper, desirable and reasonable, which tolls, rates, rents, and other charges shall be at least sufficient to meet interest and sinking fund charges on bonds and obligations issued by the commission, the maintenance of such bridge, and the administrative expenses of the commission properly chargeable to such bridge. The commission is hereby authorized and empowered to pledge such tolls, rates, rents, and other revenues, or any part thereof, as security for the repayment, with interest, of any moneys borrowed by it or advanced to it for any of its authorized purposes, and as security for the satisfaction of any other obligation assumed by it in connection with such loans or advances.

ARTICLE VI

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey hereby covenant and agree with each other and with the holders of any bonds or other obligations of the commission, for which tolls, rents, rates, or other revenues have been pledged, that, so long as any of said bonds or obligations remain outstanding and unpaid (unless adequate provision is otherwise made by law for the protection of those advancing moneys upon such bonds or obligations), the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey will not diminish or impair the power of the commission to own, operate and control said properties and facilities, or to establish, levy and collect tolls, rents, rates, and other charges in connection with such properties and facilities.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey hereby covenant and agree with each other and with the holders of any bonds or obligations of the commission, for which tolls, rents, rates, or other revenues shall have been pledged, that the said Commonwealth and State will not authorize or permit the construction, operation and maintenance of any additional bridge or tunnel for the transportation of passengers by vehicles over the Delaware River by any other person or body, than the commission, within a distance of ten miles in either direction from any such toll bridge, measured along the boundary line between the said Commonwealth and the said State.

ARTICLE VII

The bonds or obligations which may be issued by the commission for any of its authorized purposes, and as security for which tolls, rents, rates, and other revenues shall have been pledged, are hereby made securities in which all State and municipal officers and bodies of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey, and all banks, bankers, trust companies, savings banks, savings and loan associations, investment companies, and other persons carrying on a banking business, or insurance companies, insurance associations, and other persons carrying on an insurance business, and all administrators, executors, guardians, trustees, and other fiduciaries, and all other persons whatsoever, who now or may hereafter be authorized to invest in bonds or other obligations of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or of the State of New Jersey, may properly and legally invest funds, including capital belonging to them or within their control; and said bonds or other obligations are hereby made securities which may properly and legally be deposited with and received by any State or municipal officer, or agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey, for any purpose for which the deposit of bonds or other obligations, either of the Commonwealth or of the State, is now or may hereafter be authorized.

ARTICLE VIII

The effectuation of its authorized purposes by the commission is and will be in all respects for the benefit of the people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey, and for the increase of their commerce and prosperity, and since the commission will be performing essential governmental functions in effectuating said purposes, the commission shall not be required to pay any taxes or assessments upon any property acquired or used by it for purposes authorized by this agreement; and the bonds or obligations issued by the commission, their transfer and the income therefrom, including any profits made on the sale thereof, shall, at all times, be free from taxation within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey.

ARTICLE IX

The commission shall make annual reports to the Governors and Legislatures of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey setting forth in detail its operations and transactions, and may make such additional reports from time to time to the Governors and Legislatures, as it may deem advisable.

The commission shall submit biennially to a performance audit jointly conducted by the Auditor General of Pennsylvania and the State Auditor of New Jersey, which shall include expenditures and operations of the commission. These auditors shall complete the performance audit and prepare a joint report by December 31 of every odd-numbered year, with the first audit and report to be completed by December 31, 1997. A report of those audits shall be submitted to the Governors and Legislatures of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey and to the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.

An annual financial audit shall be conducted at the expense of the commission by an independent accounting firm in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A written report of each audit shall be submitted to the commission and shall be retained by the commission for at least five years.

ARTICLE X

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the commission shall have the following powers:

(a) The commission may acquire, construct, rehabilitate, improve, maintain, repair and operate bridges for vehicular or pedestrian traffic across the Delaware River between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey at any locations north of the boundary line between Bucks County and Philadelphia County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as extended across the Delaware River to the New Jersey shore of said river. The commission may also, subject to the approval of the State Highway Department of the State of New Jersey and the Department of Highways of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, lease such bridges as lessor to, and contract for the operation of such bridges by, one or more public bodies, instrumentalities, commissions or public agencies.

Whenever any bridge north of the boundary line described above in this paragraph (a) proposed to be acquired by the commission pursuant to the provisions of this agreement has been constructed pursuant to consent or authorization granted by Federal law, the acquisition of such bridge by the commission shall be by purchase or by condemnation in accordance with the provisions of such Federal law, or the acquisition of such bridge by the commission shall be pursuant to and in accordance with the provisions of sections 48:5-22 and 48:5-23 of the Revised Statutes of New Jersey, and for all the purposes of said provisions and sections, the commission is hereby appointed as the agency of the State of New Jersey and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, exercising the rights and powers granted or reserved by said Federal law or sections to the State of New Jersey and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania jointly, or to the State of New Jersey acting in conjunction with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The commission shall have authority to so acquire such bridge whether the same be owned, held, operated or maintained by any private person, firm, partnership, company, association or corporation, or by any instrumentality, public body, commission, public agency or political subdivision (including any county or municipality) of, or created by or in, the State of New Jersey or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or by any instrumentality, public body, commission or public agency of, or created by or in, a political subdivision (including any county or municipality) of the State of New Jersey or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

In addition to other powers conferred upon it, and not in limitation thereof, the commission may acquire all right, title and interest in and to the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge across the Delaware River at Palmyra, New Jersey, together with any approaches and interests in real property necessary thereto. The acquisition of such bridge, approaches and interests by the commission shall be by purchase or by condemnation in accordance with the provisions of the Federal law consenting to or authorizing the construction of such bridge and approaches, or the acquisition of such bridge, approaches or interests by the commission shall be pursuant to and in accordance with the provisions of sections 48:5-22 and 48:5-23 of the Revised Statutes of New Jersey, and for all the purposes of said provisions and sections, the commission is hereby appointed as the agency of the State of New Jersey and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, exercising the rights and powers granted or reserved by said Federal law or sections to the State of New Jersey and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania jointly, or to the State of New Jersey acting in conjunction with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The commission shall have authority to so acquire such bridge, approaches and interests, whether the same be owned, held, operated or maintained by any private person, firm, partnership, company, association or corporation, or by any instrumentality, public body, commission, public agency or political subdivision (including any county or municipality) of, or created by or in, the State of New Jersey or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or by any instrumentality, public body, commission or public agency of, or created by or in, a political subdivision (including any county or municipality) of the State of New Jersey or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The power and authority herein granted to the commission to acquire said Tacony-Palmyra Bridge, approaches and interests shall not be exercised unless and until the Governor of the State of New Jersey and the Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have filed with the commission their written consents to such acquisition.

The word "bridge" as used in this agreement shall include such approach highways and interests in real property necessary thereto in said Commonwealth or said State as may be determined by the commission to be necessary to facilitate the flow of traffic in the vicinity of any such bridge, or to connect such bridge with the highway system or other traffic facilities in said Commonwealth or said State: Provided, however, That the power and authority herein granted to the commission in connection with the approach highways shall not be exercised unless and until the Department of Highways of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania shall have filed with the commission its written approval as to approach highways to be located in said Commonwealth and the State Highway Department of the State of New Jersey shall have filed with the commission its written approval as to approach highways to be located in said State.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this agreement or any provision of law, state or Federal, to the contrary, the commission may combine, for financing purposes, any bridge or bridges hereafter constructed or acquired by it with any or all of the bridges described or referred to in any trust indenture securing bridge revenue bonds of the commission at the time outstanding, subject to any limitations or restrictions contained in such trust indenture.

Notwithstanding any provision of this agreement, nothing herein contained shall be construed to limit or impair any right or power granted or to be granted to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission or the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, acting alone or in conjunction with each other, to provide for the financing, construction, operation and maintenance of one bridge across the Delaware River south of the City of Trenton in the State of New Jersey: Provided, That such bridge shall not be constructed within a distance of ten miles, measured along the boundary line between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey, from the bridge being constructed across the Delaware River by the commission between the borough of Morrisville in said Commonwealth and the City of Trenton in said State, so long as there are any outstanding bonds or obligations of the commission for which the tolls, rents, rates or other revenues, or any part thereof, of said bridge now being constructed shall have been pledged; but such bridge may be constructed at any other location north of the boundary line described above in this paragraph (a). Nothing contained in this agreement shall be construed to authorize the commission to condemn any such bridge.

(b) The commission may replace any one or more existing bridges across the Delaware River between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey north of said line with one or more new bridges at such locations as the commission may determine to be adequate and convenient for the traffic to be served thereby.

(c) The commission may acquire by purchase or by the exercise of the power of eminent domain any existing ferry or bridge, the acquisition of which, the commission may determine to be necessary or advisable in connection with the construction of a new bridge, the cost of such acquisition to be deemed to be a part of the cost of such construction.

(d) The commission may enter upon, use, occupy, enlarge, construct and improve, any street, road or highway, located within the limits of any municipality, and deemed by the commission to be necessary in connection with the acquisition, construction, improvement, maintenance or operation, of any bridge, owned or operated by the commission, or of any bridge approaches, bridge plazas, or approach highways to any such bridge, subject however to the consent of the governing body of such municipality, and to such reasonable police regulations as may be established by such governing body.

(e) The commission may demolish and remove any bridge now operated by it, when such bridge has been or is being replaced by a new bridge at the same or a different location, which in the determination of the commission will serve substantially the same traffic as that served by such existing bridge, and the commission may sell or otherwise dispose of any ferry or other property of the commission deemed by it to be no longer useful or needed for the purposes of the commission.

(f) The commission may acquire for the purposes of this article any real property which it shall find necessary or convenient to acquire for public use in the manner provided by Article III of this Agreement, or in the alternative in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the same manner and with the same right of entry as the Highway Department of the Commonwealth may acquire lands by condemnation for highway purposes, and in the State of New Jersey in the same manner and with the same right of entry as the Highway Department of the State may acquire lands by condemnation for highway purposes.

(g) The commission may make and enforce such rules and regulations with respect to the use of any bridge operated by it as it shall deem proper and reasonable, including regulations limiting the loads permitted on any such bridge, and closing to traffic any such bridge deemed by the commission to be unsafe.

(h) The commission may provide from time to time for the issuance of its bridge revenue bonds for any one or more of the following purposes, (1) providing funds for the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation or improvement of any one or more bridges, the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation or improvement of which is herein authorized, (2) providing funds for the construction or improvement of approach facilities deemed by the commission to be necessary or desirable in connection with the acquisition, construction, maintenance or operation, of any bridge owned or operated by the commission, including but without limitation, bridge approaches, entrance plazas, overpasses, underpasses and approach highways, and (3) refunding any bridge revenue bonds or bridge revenue refunding bonds of the commission. The bridge or bridges (including any approach facilities) on account of which a single issue of bonds shall be issued, as herein authorized, shall constitute a single project for financing purposes.

(i) The commission may fix, charge and collect tolls, rates, rents and other charges for the use of any bridge or bridges constituting a single project, such tolls to be so fixed and adjusted, subject to any applicable Federal law, as to provide funds at least sufficient, (1) to pay the cost of maintaining, repairing and operating such bridge or bridges, including the administrative expenses of the commission chargeable thereto, (2) to pay the bridge revenue bonds or the bridge revenue refunding bonds issued on account of such project and the interest on such bonds, and (3) to provide reserves for such purposes: Provided, however, That no tolls shall be charged or collected for the use of any bridge now operated by the commission as a free bridge, but only for the use of bridges constructed or acquired by the commission under the provisions of this compact or agreement. Subject to any applicable Federal law the commission may pledge such tolls, rates, rents and other revenues or any part thereof for such purposes. The commission may establish separate schedules of tolls, rates and charges for use of any bridge on which tolls may be established hereunder by residents of areas adjacent to or served directly by such bridge under such conditions and on such terms as it shall determine to be proper and reasonable including tolls, rates and charges for unlimited use of any such bridge.

No member of the commission shall be subject to any personal liability or accountability by reason of any act or omission of the commission.

36 P.S. § 3401

1931, June 25, P.L. 1352, § 1; 1933, May 18, P.L. 827, § 1; 1947, June 13, P.L. 592, No. 256, § 1; 1951, June 28, P.L. 906, § 1; 1953, July 6, P.L. 369, § 1(1, 2). Amended 1965, Nov. 10, P.L. 704, § 1; 1968, June 28, P.L. 279, No. 134, § 1; 1996, July 11, P.L. 556, No. 99, §§ 1, 2, imd. effective.